The present invention relates sheet materials which are not only flexible, but also cut resistant and abrasion resistant. The present invention further relates to methods for manufacturing such sheet materials.
For many applications, sheet materials having durable wear and tear characteristics such as cut resistance and abrasion resistance are desirable. One such example is the use of protective sheet materials for countertops during food preparation operations. For this example and many others, however, it is often desirable that the sheet material also be flexible to conform to irregular and/or non-planar supporting surfaces and to be more easily stored, dispensed, and manipulated during use.
For this reason, many materials which are highly cut and abrasion resistant are less than desirable due to the lack of flexibility and conformability typically inherent with such materials. The reverse is also true, as many materials which are highly flexible and conformable are less than desirable due to the lack of cut and abrasion resistance typically inherent with such materials.
In recognition of these issues, certain composite and/or laminate materials have been developed which combine components exhibiting each of the desirable properties into a coherent structure with overall properties generally intermediate those of each material separately. While such materials may be suitable for certain applications, the points or regions of joinder between diverse materials frequently become points or regions of vulnerability to detachment when the sheet material is subjected to cutting or abrasion forces or repeated flexing under in-use conditions.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide multiple diverse properties such as cut resistance, abrasion resistance, and flexibility in a unitary material structure.
It would also be desirable to provide such a material which is durable, in use.
It would further be desirable to provide such a material which may be readily and economically manufactured.
The present invention provides a sheet of crystallizable material having opposed first and second surfaces, the sheet comprising: (a) a plurality of crystalline regions located in the first surface; and (b) an amorphous matrix surrounding and separating the crystalline regions from one another. The present invention also provides a method of making a flexible, cut resistant, and abrasion resistant sheet material, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a sheet of crystallizable amorphous material having opposed first and second surfaces; (b) crystallizing discrete regions of the first surface of the sheet of material, the discrete regions being separated from one another by a continuous amorphous matrix.